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Hyderabad: Overseas students await scholarships

Hyderabad: Students studying in universities abroad under the Chief Minister’s Overseas Scholarships scheme are jittery as they are yet to receive the money. Their parents on Monday called on home minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali and expressed concern over delay in disbursement of installments. They told him that the second installment for students selected in 2017 and the first one for students selected in 2018 had not been disbursed yet.

Because of the delay, their university fees had not been paid. The parents said they were from poor families and not in a position to fulfill their wards’ requirements, especially at a time when they were facing problems.

The home minister asked officials concerned, who told him that the government had already released `50 crore and the process of disbursement was under process. The state government introduced the Chief Minister’s Overseas Scholarships scheme to help students belonging to the minority community pursue post-graduate and PhD studies in foreign universities. Initially, monetary aid of Rs 10 lakh was provided and later the amount enhanced to Rs 20 lakh.

The director of the minorities welfare department, Mr Shahnawaz Khasim, admitted there had been a delay in disbursement, as the government sanctioned the amount last November after which it got held up as the election code of conduct came in. “But we have sent the amount to the treasuries and students are likely to get the due amount within a week,” Mr Khasim said. He said 343 students who were selected in 2017 will soon get their second installment and 257 students selected in 2018 their first installment.

He said that students who failed to submit required documents will not get the installment.